Silver halide color photographic materials have a multilayer constitution of photosensitive layers that are made up of at least three silver halide emulsion layers different in color sensitivity, which are applied on a base. For instance, so-called color photographic papers (hereinafter referred to as color papers) generally are coated with a red-sensitive emulsion layer, a green-sensitive emulsion layer, and a blue-sensitive emulsion layer in this order from the side where exposure will be made. And further, color papers have color-mixing preventing and ultraviolet-absorbing intermediate layers, protective layers, etc., interposed between the photographic layers.
Further, in the case of color positive film, generally a green-sensitive emulsion layer, a red-sensitive emulsion layer, and a blue-sensitive emulsion layer are applied in this order from the side farthest from the base, that is, in this order from the side where exposure will be made. In color negative films, there are a variety of orders for the arrangement of layers, and although generally a blue-sensitive emulsion layer, a green-sensitive emulsion layer, and a red-sensitive emulsion layer in this order from the side where exposure will be made, among the photographic materials having two or more emulsion layers that have the same color sensitivity but are different in sensitivity, there are also found photographic materials wherein emulsion layers different in color sensitivity are arranged between the said two or more emulsion layers and a bleachable yellow filter layer, an intermediate layer, a protective layer, etc., are interposed.
In order to form a color photographic image, three photographic couplers, that is, a yellow coupler, a magenta coupler, and a cyan coupler, are incorporated in photosensitive layers, and the photographic material that has been exposed to light is subjected to color development processing with a so-called color-development agent. The oxidized product of the aromatic primary amine is coupled with the couplers to give color-formed dyes, and it is preferable that the coupling speeds of the couplers are as high as possible and that the couplers are good in color-forming properties, to give high color-formed densities within a limited period of development time. It is required that the color-formed are bright cyan, magenta, and yellow dyes low in subsidiary absorption and that they give a color photographic image good in color reproduction quality.
On the other hand, the formed color photographic image must be good in keeping quality under various conditions. In order to meet this requirement, it is important that the color-formed dyes different in hue are slow in fading or discoloration speed and that the speeds of the fading over all of the image density are aligned as much as possible, so that the color balance of the remaining dye image does not change.
On the other hand, it is also important that staining does not take place in the white background after the development processing. Particularly, in the case of color papers, color formation of cyan staining likely occurs in the white background and its improvement is desired.
In prior photographic materials, and in particular in color papers, for cyan couplers good in color-forming property, staining is liable to occur in the unexposed part and deterioration of the cyan color image is great due to light fading or long-term dark fading under the influence of humidity and heat, so that the color balance is apt to change, and therefore its improvement is keenly desired. Accordingly, cyan couplers that are good in color-forming property, that cause less occurrence of cyan staining, and that are excellent in image-lasting quality (image preserving property) are demanded.
In order to partially overcome these problems partially, various couplers and, in particular, cyan couplers and combinations thereof, are suggested conventionally.
Examples thereof are described, for example, in JP-A ("JP-A" means unexamined published Japanese patent application) Nos. 50136/1986, 57238/1984, 205446/1985, and 4047/1986, U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,002, JP-A Nos. 166339/1987, 173464/1987, and 167361/1988, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,748,100 and 4,622,287, and JP-A Nos. 222852/1985 and 200037/1982.
However, in the case of these couplers or combinations thereof, the color forming property of the cyan coupler and prevention of stain both are not secured, and further, since fading of the cyan dye part becomes great along with deterioration due to light and heat, the color balance changes, and therefore these problems have not yet been overcome totally.